Google Pixel 9: Two-minute review
Welcome to the dawn of the AI phone.
While past phones have had AI features, theGooglePixel 9 has it everywhere.
Are you ready for the mobile AI future?
Pixel 9 Pro, clockwise from top-left: Porcelain; Hazel; Obsidian; Rose Quartz
Im not sure any of us are, and that includes Google.
That means there is a vast future ahead of the Pixel 9.
Whether it will be just as good in seven years as it is today is another story.
In fact, the Pixel 9 has the exact same dimensions and weight as the Pixel 9 Pro.
It has the same screen size and the same size battery.
It has the same processor.
It has the same main and ultrawide cameras, down to the lenses and sensor modules.
Does that make the Pixel 9 a great choice, or is the Pixel 9 Pro just underpowered?
Its a bit of both.
The Pixel 9 is a great buy.
More importantly, the Pixel 9 doesnt miss out on any of Googles latest AI features.
you’ve got the option to add yourself to group photos using Add Me in the camera.
it’s possible for you to create a digital portfolio of your screen grabs with the Pixel-exclusive Screenshot app.
You should also remember that Pixel devices often drop in price, especially around the holiday season.
Google Pixel 9 review: Price and availability
Wow, that Peony.
Sorry, I was distracted for a moment.
The Pixel 9 is available starting at $799 / 799 / AU$1,349 with 128GB of storage.
Guess which one is my favorite?
The iPhone 15 andSamsungGalaxy S24, which are both around the same screen size, cost about the same.
Even better, the Pixel 9 is likely to drop in price soon enough.
Id expect to see deals around the end of the year, in time for holiday shopping.
The Pixel 9 has a 4,700 mAh battery and can use a 45W fast charger, but dont bother.
), which is the snazziest pink Ive seen on a smartphone.
Its more reddish than Barbie pink, so it feels unique and very modern.
The older Pixel 8 Pro next to the Pixel 9 Pro
The black Obsidian is fine, just like every black phone weve seen since the iPhone 3G.
The Pixel 9 simply feels fantastic to hold.
This phone is so satisfying to grip.
The phone uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front for extra durability and scratch resistance.
It can withstand dust and a dunk underwater with IP68 protection.
Thankfully, youd never know it was that tough just by looking at it.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The only smartphone screen Ive seen recently that looks better is on the Pixel 9 Pro.
Thats the only similarity, though.
The Pixel 9 Pro is brighter, sharper, and more versatile.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
In practice, youll see the difference if you hold the phones side-by-side, so dont do that!
It will certainly be the brightest.
Some of these features are available and useful right away.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Some require a subscription if you really want the good stuff.
And some are available, but they may not become useful for a little while.
Whenever the Pixel 9 records people talking, the AI is useful.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The Pixel voice Recorder app is amazing.
The new Call Notes feature can take notes and send them to you after a call.
Dont worry about recording phone calls it announces itself clearly to everybody, so theres no legal trouble.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
I havent tried the translation features in depth, but the demonstrations Ive seen have been very cool.
It even does a good job summarizing a web page, or reading the subtext from an email.
Is it worth paying extra to chat with Google Gemini?
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Absolutely not, I pay for the cloud storage, not the AI.
Gemini Live is a total dud right now.
I asked for recommendations for a dinner date and it directed me to a restaurant that closed years ago.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Good thing I checked Google first, too bad Gemini cant do the same.
Gemini Live also shut down before I was finished, every time.
The conversation ended when Gemini Live simply stopped working.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Thats not AI worth paying for.
My biggest question mark surrounds the Pixel exclusive Screenshots app.
I have 3,612 screenshots saved the first is from 2013. you’ve got the option to manually add more photos, but Im not adding 3,600 screenshots.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Will Screenshots be valuable once Ive taken 3,000 more screenshots?
Only time will tell.
If not, whats the point of all of this AI?!
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The results end up nearly identical, but the differences are real and worth considering.
The Camera app on the Pixel 9 is very hard to manage.
you could save the sequence as a video.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Unfortunately, it was not available on my Pixel 9, and I couldnt figure out why.
When I tapped the tiny ?
Its a miracle I found it.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
This is Samsung levels of bad interface design.
Once you get shooting, the camera on the Pixel 9 is fantastic.
If you shoot a lot of video, you may want to consider the Pixel 9 Pro instead.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The iPhone SE was launched 2.5 years ago with an Apple A15 Bionic chipset inside.
The Pixel 9 wins on graphics quality, but not raw processing power.
Thats … really sad.
Unfortunately, this isnt just a benchmark concern.
The Pixel 9 feels sluggish, especially as Google adds more and more AI features.
All of these clever tricks add a bottleneck to performance.
Some of them rely on heavy processing and much of the phones 12GB of RAM.
Some rely on contact to and from Googles cloud AI servers.
All of them are slower than your basic apps, interface, and Android games.
Pixel 6a, Pixel 7a, and Pixel 8a (left to right)
Its time for Google to take Tensor performance more seriously.
The Pixel 9 worries me.
The design is fantastic.
The cameras are amazing.
Im not sure about the processor.
This phone comes with a seven-year promise.
That means seven years of Android OS updates, security patches, and Pixel feature drops.
Will it really be able to keep up in seven years with the latest features?
Will it keep up with any new features?
Pushing the Pixel 9 to the limit causes delays.
It causes apps to slow down and stutter.
The buttons on screen might fail to respond in some apps.
I noticed that the Google interface was always incredibly snappy and responsive.
It feels highly optimized.
All of the menus move faster than I can see them go.
When I started using other software, though, I ran into problems, especially with multitasking.
In the real world, the Pixel 9 had no trouble surviving through a full day of usage.
Google clarified by saying the Pixel 9 can charge up to 27W if you use a 45W charger.
Thats not worth the extra cost for only a tiny bit more Wattage.
Should you buy the Google Pixel 9?
Maybe thats a fair trade.
I mean, this Wintergreen is very nice, but that Peony is pure, unique hotness.
It will be cheaper.
Were also expecting new iPhone models, and arent you curious… ?
Samsung Galaxy S24The Galaxy S24 is a real powerhouse compared to the Pixel 9.
If youre not a Google die-hard, consider the Galaxy instead.
Another Pixel 9 was also tested by Future Labs for benchmark and lab testing.
I also played games, listened to music, and played more games.
I streamed video to my Google Chromecast connected to my TV.
For each camera, I used the mode that produced the highest resolution image with the best image quality.
I viewed these photos for comparison on a professionalDellmonitor.
Future Labs tests phones using a mix of third-party benchmark software and proprietary, real world tests.
We use Geekbench, CrossMark, JetStream, WebXPRT and Mobile XPRT, and 3DMark for performance testing.
We test the phones performance on tasks usingAdobePremiere Rush.
We also measure display color output and brightness.
Read more about how we test
First reviewed August 2024
